Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: ExSoldier
My best friend retired a few years ago as an SF 05 and he was one of those Oyster/Demo Knife guys. You used to be a DAT (Dumb A$$ Tanker)?

I plead guilty, though we preferred the term Eleven Educated, from the Tanker's 11E10/20/30 MOS designation. [my first tour, 1966-70] was enlisted] That was during the old M48A3/M60A1 days, though I spent some unhappy time around the M551 as well. And even M41s, M24 Chafees, and M47s, even running M4A3 Shermans and Rooshian T-34 scaups a couple of times.

I branch transferred from Infantry to Armor in the reserves. Had just enough time to do the Advanced Course at Fort Knox and get qualified on the M1 out in Idaho before the Clinton RIF hit me. Damn him.

I went civilian during the Reagan days, first spending a year in '79 after college on the GI Bill and some interesting vacation time abroad, as a Dept of the Army civilian ordnance technician/design consultant, then going to the NAVY as the JSSAAP program came online. I saw what was coming and went into the civilian contractor side just as soon as I could make myself indespensible and had a good list of where the project managers had buried the bodies.

In 1991 I went [as a civilian newspaperman] off on an interesting all-expense paid trip to Sarajevo and engaged in my arcane hobby of keeping lists of serial numbers, thence to return to find a national newswriting award for my Desert Shield/Storm/Sabre coverage awaiting me, which close attention I'd have rather not have had at the time. And then I hid from my several friends and several more enemies by putting on a USAF bluesuit, which worked great until I got tasked with commo responsibilities during the 1992 Mississippi flooding in and around St Louis, after which some beancounter found out I'd been signed for some six and a half million dollars worth of radios and they hung a direct commission on me, hard to do with all my kicking and screaming. I figured it'd be a minimal nuisance, but then along came 09/11, and I had the opportunity to go back where I was comfortable, not always have been able to remember those Navy and Marine terms for the latrine....

I'm really getting too old for the doorkicking end of things, but I can generally keep things that go bang going bang, though I was supposed to be a mobilization and training command S3. And a couple of my news stories have really annoyed people I figured deserved it.

I don't think they'd dare to call me back active again. But just in passing, I hear that the president wants to add the warm body personnel for something like five more divisions.

41 posted on 01/26/2007 10:10:03 AM PST by archy (Et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno. [from Virgil's *Aeneid*.])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies ]


To: archy
If I went back, they'd have to make me a major and damn if I ever met one of those that I liked. Still, I doubt very much I'll get any sort of a call. Too old, too out of shape and waaaaay overweight. Not to mention a fairly serious case of sleep apnea. I know this from the three times I tried to do exactly that since 911. I even had a buddy that commands a Brigade write a letter to DA stating he'd take me on as one of his primary staff pukes sight unseen since 1984 and do so without a single qualm. He didn't care about the weight or the PT or the Sleep Apnea. Said he'd have me bunk next to a generator and plug my machine right in, no prob! It's nice having a friend like that. Gives me goose bumps even now.
44 posted on 01/26/2007 10:44:11 AM PST by ExSoldier (Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson